Ok, We built our current home – moved in 2+ years ago and this is our energy saving and maintenance saving inclusions –
1. Spray in foam for all exposed (to outside) surfaces, including some of the roof area that was in the vaulted celings area.
2. Geothermal Heat and cool – substantial saving, seems quieter, and we like it.
3. Low-e windows and substantial windows in places to bring in light all day long (two dormer windows one facing east , one facing west.
4. lower level built with concrete filled foam blocks (R-50 values) but it is a walk out basement.
5. Cement fiber board for “wood look” exterior plus cement made stone for the portions that needed to look like rock.
6. extra attic ventilation for our hot summer months (still need to add some more “blown-in” celulose to get the attic up over R-50 and seal off the fiberglass that we “cheaped” out and put in (note: we could not find anyone in our area at the time that would do the celulose and had to settle for what we got) now we can get it and do it ourselves…
7. Tile and Oak (50 year) flooring in upstairs and stained concrete for downstairs.
8. Large deck with roof over to keep afternoon sun off west windows for substantial part of day
9. lucky placement of house to include large oak shade for 70 percent of west side of house during hottest portion of summer… but not winter so we get shade during hot time and sun warmth during winter.
I know there are a lot of things we could have done better, now that we are in the house, but we all learn by doing and seeing our mistakes.
WD0AJG
More and more inventors are realizing the need for environmentally-responsible inventing to prevent their masterpieces from wreaking further havoc on an already damaged Earth. There are air-powered automobiles, virtually waterless washing machines, and solar water heaters. It comes as no surprise, therefore, that advocates of the green building movement have come up with a new concept – the energy-saving house.
What makes an energy saving house? There are various elements of a house that was built to save on the use of electricity generated by coal-powered plants, not the least of which is a design that capitalizes on the home’s accessibility to renewable sources of energy, such as the sun, the wind, the earth, or a nearby body of water which can produce hydroelectric energy. There are certain must-haves of a energy saving house; without these essential elements, you can’t completely say you have done your best to construct an eco-friendly and energy-efficient house.
1. An alternative source of energy. Various alternative sources of energy have been harnessed to produce electricity for many American homes. The most popular of these alternative and renewable sources are solar energy, wind energy, and hydroelectric energy, which can all be harnessed from nature through the use of innovative inventions such as solar panels, windmills, and special turbines. Your choice of an alternative source of energy ultimately depends on your financial capacity and the geographic location of your home, but installing any of these energy-saving systems will greatly help save home energy.
2. Earth-friendly materials. An energy-saving house is made of simple, eco-friendly, and recyclable materials that are produced with as little electricity as possible. It may be time for you to give up the catalog on polished brass and marble or imported tropical wood because many contemporary architects are incorporating the use of greener materials that can be easily found near the construction site. In fact, one of the best and cheapest materials that is making a comeback from the age of the ancients is dirt-cheap earth. Earth is easy-to-use, durable, cheap as itself, and can provide natural insulation for a more efficient heating and cooling system.
3. Insulation that works. To save home energy, a house needs effective and airtight insulation that can seal off the house from unwanted hot and cold temperatures. There are various types of insulation material that can be used for a home, but all of them can be used to create a thermal envelope around your house and reduce the heating and cooling loads. The most common types of insulation are fiberglass rolls and cellulose, but spray-in foam insulation is also used to cover off those unreachable crevices in small nooks and crannies.
4. Natural lighting and ventilation. A well-designed energy saving house is one that was made to take advantage of the accessibility of natural light and the wind. Shapes that are low and narrow are more energy-efficient forms because the house tends to stretch across a wide and empty area where it can make use of the different lighting combinations from outside as well as take advantage of the direction of the wind. House features that can naturally increase the flow of sunlight and ventilation are skylights, movable screen, adjustable louvers, and verandas.
5. Energy-efficient home appliances. An energy-saving house is not complete without the use of appliances that exceed the Department of Energy’s energy-efficiency standards. All appliances have an Energy Guide sticker to show you its maximum energy usage, but recommended appliances are sealed with an Energy Star label to show you that they are better at saving energy than the other brands.
Brian Carver is a house energy expert. He has focused on finding ways to preserve the earth’s natural resources and helping people conserve energy and use it efficiently. For more information on energy saving house, visit http://www.houseenergysavingtips.com
Author: Brian Carver
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Lowest Price Prototype PCB Assembly